TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Declaration ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of content vi
List of Tables vii
Abstract vii
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background Of The Study 1
1.2 Brief History Of The Company 3
1.3 Statement Or The Problem 5
1.4 Objectives Of The Study 6
1.5 Research Question 7
1.6 Research Hypothesis 7
1.7 Organization Of Study 8
1.8 Scope Of The Study 9
1.9 Limitations Of The Study 10
1.10 Definition Of Terms 11
CHAPTER TWO
2.1 Literature Review 13
2.1 Package Modification a Sales Tool 16
2.2 Importance Of Packaging As A Selling Tool 24
2.3 Packaging Polices And Strategies 29
2.4 Basic Packaging Functions 30
CHAPTER THREE
Methodology
3.1 Research Design 34
3.2 Area Of The Study 35
3.3 Population Of The Study 36
3.4 Determination Of Sample Size 36
3.5 Method Of Data Collection 37
3.6 Sampling Technique 38
3.7 Data Analysis 39
3.8 Validity 40
3.9 Reliability 41
CHAPTER FOUR
Data Presentation And Analysis
4.0 Data Presentation 42
4.1 Distribution And Return Of Questionnaire 42
4.2 distribution on educational background and background
of respondents 43
4.3 Distribution On Work Experience 44
4.4 Distribution On Effects Of Packaging As A Sales Tool 45
4.5 Does failure in manufacturing firms to satisfy their customers
Come as a result of poor packaging 46
4.6 Distribution On Neglect Of Sales Promotion 47
4.7 Distribution on addressing problems of low packaging
Performance 48
4.8 Distribution on the role of packaging 49
4.9 Distribution on the sales performance of sales people 50
4.10 Distribution on customer attitude 51
4.11 Distribution on performance increase 51
4.12 Distribution as a result of increase performance 52
4.13 Test of hypothesis 53
CHAPTER FIVE
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendation
5.1 Summary 60
5.2 Conclusion 61
5.3 Recommendations 62
References
Questionnaires
LIST OF TABLES
4.1 Distribution and return of questionnaire 42
4.2 Distribution on educational background and 43
background of respondents
4.3 Distribution on work experience 44
4.4 Distribution on effects of packaging as a sales tool 45
4.5 does failure in manufacturing firms to satisfy
their customers come as a result of poor packaging 46
4.6 Distribution on neglect of sales promotion 47
4.7 Distribution on addressing problems of low 48
packaging performance
4.8 Distribution on the role of packaging 49
4.9 Distribution on the sales performance of sales 50
people
4.10 Distribution on customer attitude 51
4.11 Distribution on performance increase 51
4.12 Distribution as a result of increase performance 52
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Packaging is the external features of a particular product. It includes building, labeling and literature insert. When a product tends to sell itself without the company’s promotion, then we say the package is serving as silent salesman.
The importance of packaging in any customer oriented business organization cannot be overstressed. It is powerful selling tool and propels consumers into buying, unlike a sales man who runs around for selling of goods and services. Packaging will adequately perform its functions provided the packaging of the product is attractive. Most companies now recognize the packaging for protection and promotional functions. It should be noted that packaging plays an important role in the purchase of products. Packaging can be defined as the general group of activities in product planning that involved designing and producing the container or wrapper for a product.
A package should be designed to perform many functions amongst which are protection function and promotional function, others etc. According to Johnson and Wood (1977) in their discussion on protective function of packaging states that the package must:
a) Restrain the product from undesired movement
b) Protection of the contents from outside violation and stock
c) Provide sufficient exterior surface so that identification and shipping labels can be applied along with specific instruction such as the side up.
d) Enclose the materials both to protest them and protect other items from them.
e) Support the weight of identifying container, that will be stocked above it as part of the building block concept.
f) Protect the product against damages through handling and distribution processes and also be used to reduce contamination by dust and dirt.
Packaging is useful in self service retailing and also perform the functions of a salesman as the consumer (buyer) just go to the shelves, inspect and decides to buy or not to buy after seeing the description and the use of the item. A product that has a good package add image prestige and beauty of a product. This could lead to impulse purchase .
A good packaged product establishes product differences as could be evidenced in the art of design, the sample or shape of the materials used. It affect the qualities of the product, it also a booster to the imaged of the company.
1.2 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE COMPANY
Unilever Nigeria Plc was incorporated as lever brothers (West Africa) ltd on 11th April, 1923 by Lord lever Hulme, but the Company’s trading interest in Nigeria and west Africa generally, and to the fact that he since the 19th Century been greatly involved with the soap business in Britain – Unilever Nigeria Plc started as a soap manufacturing company, and is today one of the oldest surviving manufacturing organization in Nigeria
After series of mergers/acquisitions, the company diversified into manufacturing and marketing non-soap detergents and personal care products. These mergers/acquisition brought in Lipton Nigeria Ltd in 1985, cheese rough ponds industries Ltd in 1988 The company changed its name to unlevered Nigeria Plc in 2001
Unilever Nigeria Plc is a Public Limited Liability Company quited on the Nigeria stock exchange since 1973. The amalgamation of the operations of British Soap maker Lever Brothers and ductch Margarine Unie (a 1923 amagation of anton Jurgens Margarine fabrieken N.V and Samuel Van den Bergh) made sound commercial sense, as palm oil was a major raw material for both margerines, and soaps, and could be imported more efficiently in larger qualities.
Unilever produces may items in the market such as quality creams, soaps tooth brush, pest, hair creams, perfume and other good products that have never been beaten by any competitor in the market.
More, the company is one of the existing leading company on packaging of cosmetics product among other competitors
1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
One aspect of marketing that help the selling of a manufacturing product is packaging. Many producers think that putting the products in a box that can be displayed on the shelf with colorful designs to attract the buyer eye is enough for it to sell. It may have worked before but not anymore.
One of the factors that causes product flop is wrong packaging. Wrong packaging is quite common, appearing and disappearing without much fuss. With a new research of current design that rectified errors, a few products managed to stage a comeback and flourished.
One of the problems about packaging is that packaging is in the socio-economic forefront today because of its relationship to environmental pollution sued. The greatest challenge confronting packaging is how to dispose off used containers which are major consumer’s contribution to the solid west disposal problem. Today consumers are more discrimination and there are more choices to choose from in system and materials, most designed specifically for certain products such as fruits, and vegetables. Wax packaging, for instance are usually used for foods riffs, sex food packaging use vacuum packs to preserve flavor, while poultry boxes are tor eggs -
Lack of market research before packaging a product to know if it is appealing to a world wide market is another mistakes that manufacturing firms do because of the above reasons sales men exact more energy than necessary to struggle to sale the products due to poor packaging
Meanwhile, the research study to determine and evaluate the effect of cost, design and shape of a particular product to a growth in sales volume.
Nevertheless, these are problems which this research study has proven to evaluate to confirm its relevance or sales performance.
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The major objective of the study is to examine the effect of packaging on the sales performance of a manufacturing firm .other specific objectives are
1) To determine how packaging can be useful to enhance the sales growth of the manufacturing company.
2) To determine how to improve product quality through packaging
3) To identify the roles of packaging on sale performance
4) To determine factors that influence effective and attractive packaging
1.5 RESEARCH QUESTION
Considering the problems and objectives stated above the following research questions are examined.
(1) How does packaging enhance the sales growth of the manufacturing firm?
(2) How can product quality be improved upon through packaging?
(3) What are the roles of packaging on effective sales performance?
(4) What factors influence effective and attractive packaging?
1.6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
This study seek to prove or disprove the following hypothesis which are stated in null (H0) forms
Hypothesis I
H01: There is no significant relationship between packaging and sales growth
Hypothesis II
H0: Packaging does not contribute to growth in market share.
Hypothesis III
H0: Product packaging does not influence purchase behavior of the consumers.
1.7 ORGANIZATION OF STUDY
This work will be organized into different chapters, ranging from chapter one (1) to chapter five (5), chapter one, introduction, background of the study, brief history of Uniliver, statement of problem, objective of study, chapter two is on literature review while chapter three is research methodology, research design areas of study, population of the study, sample and sampling procedure or design, chapter four is presentation of analysis and data collection and finally, chapter five, details of recommendations, conclusion, finding and their implications.1.8 significance of the study
Packaging is very important in development of any product, it is a first thing a consumer consider when looking at any product. A product benefits good name from a nice packaging. A company who has a very strong package never run to excess production because, customers will always come to look for the product mostly for convenience sake. The importance of packaging can finally be highlighted if one tries to see what poor package can do to a product, poor packaging does not only kill the production on the long run, but it also create dissatisfaction among channel, intermediaries.
The most interesting part of this study is that it will bring up young marketing managers (future leaders) to have packaging as another sales strategy which will help the product to sale itself in a competitive market.
1.8 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The extent of coverage of the study is within the frame of the topic. This study will examine the concept of packaging as it affects the sales performance of Uniliver Nig. Plc. Aba Abia State.
The research could be based on the relationship between packaging and the sales performance. This is because most of the high consumer products are bases on cosmetics and toiletries, the product wishes to understand the level of packaging and size to use in the market so as to attract customers. Any other marketing components that does not contribute in packaging is not within the frame of this research
1.9 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Attempt to successfully complete this research study, sufficient effect has been put in which the available limit surmounted, limited that scope of the study. One of the impingement to this research of work is limited source of material available to carry out this research works, inadequacy of supply of funds also posed a problem in the process of obtaining data due to the economy. Another encountered difficulty is on deriving information, such as biased responses, non-responses, and error, non-disclosure of vital information, selection of suitable data analysis tool.
Let me state it here that the most challenging of the constraints that militated against this research work is the clash of the research with other academic responsibilities in a short period of time. This made the researcher to have dual responsibility in a short period.
1.10 DEFINITION OF TERMS
· Quality: A degree of excellence of a product or a distinctive attribute of a product
· Sales: This is the exchange of a product for money that is an event at which goods are sold
· Packaging: This is a process of arranging a product in order to make it more attractive
· Promotion: This is the process of raising a product to its statute or higher rank.
· Core: This is primary reasons why a product is being produce or why the consumer go for it.
· Packaging concept: This is the way or view marketers have towards packaging or what they (marketers) have seen packaging do in a product.
· Product: This is an item that has the capability to satisfy human needs or wants
· Consumer: This is a person that buys the product
· Sales man: This is a person that sale the company’s product.
· Effect: This is the influence that an act or thing has to another.
· Manufacturing firm: This is a company that produces tangible goods (product).
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